Governor Babatunde Fashola of the South West Lagos State has appealed to the Nigerian federal Government to review the revenue allocatio n formula which, he says, currently favours the government at the centre to the d e triment of component units.
Fashola made the appeal at the Annual Ramadan lecture, organized by the Arabic a nd Islamic Institute, Markaz, Agege, a suburb of Lagos, adding that the necessar y constitutional amendments should be made to correct the present straight jacket e d lumping of all local governments into one category.
Fashola explained that the 774 local governments in the country had different pr iorities to tackle, adding “While some Local Governments are endowed with minera l resources and deposits, some are riverine while those in the North are preoccup i ed with cattle rearing and milk production.
“It is ironic that each one gets the same allocation, irrespective of its differ ent features.”
On education in the State, the Governor said the Lagos State Government was comm itted to ensuring that public schools were fully equipped with laboratories and I nformation Technology facilities which would stand the schools in good stead to c ompete with products of private schools.
He explained that teachers at the public schools would also enjoy continuous tra ining and retraining to empower them to impart adequate knowledge on the pupils a nd students.
On Ramadan, Fashola described the period as blissful one which promotes the spir it of sharing and good neighbourliness.
He implored Nigerians to take a more active interest in the politics of the coun try, saying if they continue to sit on the fence they would have no moral rights
to criticize those elected to serve.
He added that it was only when credible Nigerians come forward that the politica l scene would be more competitive resulting in the emergence of the best candida t e.
In his lecture, the Director of the Markaz Institute, Sheikh Habeebullah Adam Ab dullah AL-ILORI (OON), commended the present administration in the State for the
giant strides recorded in the area of provision of infrastructure.
